Americans voted on Tuesday in elections for Congress that could curb the power of George W. Bush's Republicans, force a change of direction in Iraq and shape the legacy of a U.S. president with two years left in office. Democrats are on course to recapture control of the U.S. House of Representatives from Republicans for the first time since 1994, opinion polls showed, with their chance of taking over the Senate hinging on several key races that are too close to call. A majority for the party in even one chamber of Congress could slam the brakes on Bush's second-term legislative agenda, hasten his lame-duck status and give Democrats a chance to investigate his most controversial policy decisions, such as the war in Iraq. Polls opened at 6 a.m. EST (1100 GMT) in some areas of the eastern United States and will start to close at 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT), but it could be hours before results are known in many crucial races... http://news.yahoo.com

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Israeli troops were to begin withdrawing Tuesday from the Lebanese part of the divided border village of Ghajar, the U.N. peacekeeping force said.When completed, the Israeli troop withdrawal from Ghajar would put Israeli forces behind the U.N.-demarcated Blue Line bordering the two countries for the first time since the summer war between the Jewish state and Hezbollah guerrillas.Israeli forces withdrew from other areas they occupied during the war in early October but remained in Ghajar, a village that is half in Israel and half in Lebanon.Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini made the announcement after a meeting with Lebanese and Israeli officers at the U.N. peacekeeping headquarters in the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura....http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227883,00.html

A sombre Saddam Hussein called on Iraqis to forgive each other today, when he returned to court two days after he was sentenced to hang for crimes against humanity.Saddam cited references to the prophet Muhammad and Jesus who had asked for forgiveness for those who had opposed them."I call on all Iraqis, Arabs and Kurds, to forgive, reconcile and shake hands," Saddam said after challenging one witness' evidence.The deposed dictator, who appeared in a black suit with a white shirt, appeared subdued during the proceedings. He and six other defendants are on trial for the Operation Anfal crackdown against Iraqi Kurds in the late 80s.The prosecution says about 180,000 people were killed in the operation....http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2006/11/07/saddam0711372ready.jpg

Three U.S. citizens are among seven people who will go on trial in Vietnam this week over an alleged attempt to take over state radio stations to call for an uprising against the communist government, a court official said Tuesday.The seven will stand trial Friday at the People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City on charges of terrorism, an offense that carries possible sentences ranging from 12 years in prison to death by firing squad, the court's chief judge Bui Hoang Danh said.The defendants, who were arrested in September of last year, include three U.S. citizens of ethnic Vietnamese descent: Thuong Nguyen "Cuc" Foshee of Orlando, Fla.; Le Van Binh "Phu" of Tampa, Fla, and Huynh Bich Lien "Linda" of San Gabriel, Calif.Three Vietnamese nationals from southern An Giang province and a Vietnamese national who is a resident of the U.S. will also be tried, Danh said.He said the trial would last one day....http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,227819,00.html

Hundreds of US soldiers have signed a petition calling for a troop withdrawal from Iraq and the document is to be formally presented to Congress in January, organizers said. "As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq," the petition says."Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for US troops to come home," it says.The campaign's website, www.appealforredress.org, says the petition is sponsored by active duty service members based in the Norfolk, Virginia area and by a sponsoring committee of veterans and military family members.The committee includes Iraq Veterans against the War (IVAW), Veterans for Peace (VFP) and Military Families Speak Out...http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061106/pl_afp/usiraqmilitaryunrest

As the 2006 campaign staggered to an angry close, national security and the Iraq war dominated the final-day debate of midterm elections in which national themes, not simply local choices, have framed the most competitive races. Democrats said a vote for them would force change in Iraq strategy, while President Bush led the GOP charge in warning that the opposition party cannot be trusted in a time of war.Dozens of too-close-to-call House and Senate races finished on a surly tone, as the traditional political strategy of shifting to a positive message at campaign's end gave way this year to a calculation that the best chance to tip the balance was through continued attacks over personal character and alleged corruption.But strategists on both sides said yesterday that national security broadly -- and Iraq specifically -- are likely to determine control of Congress today....http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/06/AR2006110601287_pf.html